BIKE TEST: SSR MOTORSPORTS SR450S
$pend
Breaking the
Barrier
Made in Asia and priced right!
>
Some of the most fabulous tech in the
world comes out of China, but until
recently we didn’t have much evidence
of that in the motorcycle world. Chinese
bikes have a reputation for being heavy,
having meek performance and offering
crude control feel. But, that is changing. A
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year ago when we tested SSR Motorsports’
SR150 and SR189, we checked out the early
SSR SR450S. As much as it looked like a
serious effort, it still had a few clunky parts.
Fast-forward a year and the difference is
remarkable. This SR450S looks like a finely
engineered dirt bike.
The fit and finish of the
SR450S is far superior to
most Chinese-built dirt bikes.
The machine is comfortable,
performs well and sells for a
great price. For our dry conditions, we weren’t fans of
the stock tires.
THE LOOK
There is a saying: if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck
and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck. In the case
of the SR450S, if it looks like a Honda, is it a Honda? No,
it isn’t, but it is a pretty nice copy. In fact, it is such a nice
copy—or clone if you will—that we feel a little uncomfortable. This is not a case where a company took an existing
design and improved it or made it its own. The fact that it
is a clone of a machine introduced a decade ago helps a
bit. As much as it looks like a Honda CRF450X, though,
don’t count on the parts being interchangeable.
The upside is that for once a Chinese manufacturer has
not merely made a bike that is a visual copy of an existing
machine while ignoring the tech. It would take a discerning
rider to tell the difference between this bike and an existing
Japanese production model. All of the control efforts are
NOVEMBER 2016 / DIRT BIKE 75
BIKE TEST: SSR MOTORSPORTS SR450S
The
welds and
finish on the
aluminum frame are
quite nice. The engine
looks like an exact copy
of a Honda CRF450X,
but don’t count on parts
interchanging. The
engine runs cleanly
with no unexpected
mechanical
noise.
just what you would expect—nice, light and smooth. The
riding position is natural and comfortable. The seat foam
even feels right.
THE RIDE
Where the SSR differs from the mid-2000s vintage
Honda 450 is in carburetion. The SR450S uses a 36mm
carburetor with a handlebar-mounted remote choke
instead of the famed Keihin FCR (39mm or 41mm). Using
the kick-start or the button, our test machine fired easily
and quickly, and it ran happily as soon as it was warmed
up. Claimed horsepower is in the low 40s, and that sounds
pretty close. We had a 2008 Honda CRF450X along as
a yardstick. It was jetted and had an FMF header and
spark-arrestor muffler, so it ran quite well with excellent
response. In comparison, the SR450S wasn’t as snappy at
low rpm. Once you got higher in the rpm range, the bikes
felt closer; however, with the baked, dry conditions we
tested under, we were feeling traction limitations as much
as we were power.
The exhaust note on our bike was very quiet. The pipe
looks like a quality unit, but there is no spark arrestor. Like
the Honda CRF450X, the SR450S does have an air-injection system, so it would appear the machine could
possibly meet CARB emission and sound standards for
an off-road machine, but at the moment it is designated
as a closed-course competition machine. The clutch and
throttle are both smooth, and we had no trouble with shifting. In fact, everything about the performance reminded
us of a stock CRF450X. In addition to the carburetor, the
SR450S has an 11.0:1 compression ratio compared to
12.0:1 for the Honda. It also has stainless steel valves rather than titanium. Nevertheless, the SR makes good power,
and it feels like it makes the power it claims. Our bike felt
lean at low rpm and at the initial crack of the throttle. The
lean feeling was more pronounced when we were in slow
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technical riding and the engine temperature went up. After
about 25 percent throttle opening, the performance was
fine and, frankly, all that the stock CST tires were capable
of handling in the dry, packed and rocky conditions we
were riding in. We’ve ridden with various CST tires before,
and in loam they work pretty well. The rear was acceptable
for our riding conditions, and it wore well. The front was
out of its element on the packed, dry surfaces.
GOOD STUFF
There is a long list of things that are impressive about
the SR450S. The aluminum frame and swingarm are very
nicely constructed, and all of the welds are clean and
consistent. All of the suspension parts look professionally
built with fine machining. As much as they look like Showa
products, they are not, but they must be extremely similar.
Apparently, SSR test rider Jeff Willoh races an SR450S
with Showa suspension internals. He is currently leading
the 30 A class in WORCS. The WORCS races are no joke,
and a number are exceptionally rough. If the SSR is handling those events, that says a lot about it.
Some of the detailing, such as the grips, handlebar and
footpegs, is nice. In fact, the pegs look like the aftermarket pegs most riders quickly install on Honda CRF450Xs.
The wider-than-Honda’s pegs require a little care when
you kick-start the SR450S, but you won’t be doing that
much. The e-start works fine. Honda’s venerable 450X
has a number of less-wonderful features, such as a smallish 2.1-gallon tank and a fussy side-entrance airbox.
Unfortunately, SSR copied those traits as well. While the
Honda uses a quick fastener on the airbox cover, the
SR450S bolts the cover shut. The SR450S also has an
ignition switch (with a key) complete with fork lock, so the
machine the SSR was modeled after was likely an international model from a country that allows the 450X to be
ridden on the street. Since the introduction of the 450X,
Without
fuel, the
SR450S
weighs in
at 272
pounds.
companies, including Honda, have done a great job
of getting the weight lower on machines with perimeter aluminum frames. SSR hasn’t made any in-roads
here; the SR450S has a bit of a top-heavy feel that current
technology avoids.
Despite our nitpicking—and much of it is similar to what
we said about the last Honda CRF450X—the SR450S is
an impressive general-purpose dirt bike. The suspension
action is a bit crisp and a little more resistant to initial
movement compared to the well-broken-in 450X we used
as a yardstick. For certain, more riding time would help.
We suspect, though, that the frame may not have the
refined feel of the Honda’s frame. Honda spends a great
deal of time, energy and testing to make an aluminum
frame that flexes properly. It combines cast, forged and
extruded parts and different types of welding at various
points on the frame to get the desired feel. Wall thicknesses are critical as well. The SR450S frame feels crisper than
a 450X, but you’d need to be a discerning rider to feel it.
With a front tire better suited to our riding conditions, we
would be happy to ride an SR450S. It is a solid, effective
bike with plenty of performance. Considering the MSRP
of $4699, this is a screaming performance deal. That is
roughly the price of a well-used Honda CRF450X. The
bike does have a limited 90-day warranty. SSR has been
in business in the U.S. since 2002, and it stocks all the
parts for the bike. The parts are priced as reasonably as
the bike itself. The bottom line here is that it is a respectable machine, one that is off-road competent and priced
low enough to get folks excited and pumped to ride on a
brand-new machine. Add in the quiet factor, the good feel
through the cockpit and what appears to be a beefy constitution, and we have all of the ingredients for a true priceis-right dirt bike. ❏
The SSR front brake is a Nissin, and it works well. The rear
brake worked fine, but doesn’t match a Honda brake in
power and feel.
The control feel and effort required is well
within current industry standards. SSR has
made big strides here in the last year.
BIKE TEST: SSR MOTORSPORTS SR450S
Engine type ...................................Electric-start, 449cc, 4-stroke,
single-cylinder, liquid-cooled
Displacement........................................................................449cc
Bore x stroke ...................................................... 96mm x 62.1mm
Fuel delivery .......................................................36mm carburetor
Transmission..................................................................... 5-speed
Final drive ............................................................................. Chain
Fuel tank capacity ..............................................................2.1 gal.
Spark arrestor............................................................................No
EPA legal ...................................................................................No
Running weight ...................................................265 lb. (claimed)
Wheelbase .............................................................................59.0”
Ground clearance ..................................................................13.0”
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Seat height ............................................................................37.8”
Tire size:
Front ....................................................................CST 80/100-21
Rear ...................................................................CST 110/100-18
Suspension:
Front .....................................................47mm inverted w/ reb. &
comp.-damping adj.; 315mm travel
Rear .......................................... Single sock w/ spring preload &
reb. damping adj.; 270mm travel
Country of origin................................................................... China
Suggested retail price ......................................................... $4699
Manufacturer .................................................... SSR Motorsports,
www.ssrmotorsports.com